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Spotlight on nature and biodiversity

Nature is humanity’s lifeline. Human health, food, economies and well-being depend on nature. Yet nature is in crisis. One million of the world’s estimated 8 million species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction. Meanwhile, ecosystem degradation is affecting the well-being of 40 per cent of the global population.

The spotlight on nature and biodiversity highlights updates from around the UN System, from partners and others, helping to call attention to the need for a just, prosperous and sustainable future for all.

21 Oct 2024 19:07

As landscapes heal, Nepal’s most iconic animals stage a comeback

Two tigers
Credit: AFP/Cordier Sylvain 

Forests provide essential ecosystem services, including climate regulation, building materials and medicine. But overuse and land clearing for farmland are imperiling forests’ health – and the rich biodiversity they support. 

In Nepal’s Terai region, nearly 8 million people rely on forests, putting rhino, elephant and tiger populations at risk. Terai Arc Landscape is helping to change that. The initiative, a United Nations World Restoration Flagship, has reforested 65,000 hectares and supported about 500,000 households. Its efforts have helped triple Nepal's tiger population and revitalize forest ecosystems. 

21 Oct 2024 17:00

8th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities

A city view
Credit: Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) 

To stave off biodiversity loss, experts say governments must foster increased collaboration across all levels of government and all sectors of society.  

On 26 October, local and subnational government leaders from around the world will gather in Cali, Colombia, for a parallel event to COP16. They will discuss the importance of strong policymaking and investments in biodiversity protection and launch new initiatives that align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework goal of living in harmony with nature.  

Click here for more information about the event. 

21 Oct 2024 13:08

How a restoration initiative is making African communities more resilient

A beekeeper in a protective suit
Credit: CIFOR-ICRAF  

Droughts, floods, deforestation and unsustainable farming practices are degrading soil across Africa. With desertification also affecting some 45 per cent of the continent’s land area, food security and sustainable development are under serious threat. 

Regreening Africa is providing a much-needed salve. The initiative, a United Nations World Restoration Flagship, has restored over 350,000 hectares of land, helping more than 600,000 households across eight countries. Its regreening efforts have improved groundwater filtration, making rural communities more resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis

17 Oct 2024 13:32

Ecosystem restoration in action: local perspectives to meet global goals

Workers plant trees in Lebanon
Photo: UNEP/Celine Barakat

At COP16, UNEP will host a side event that will explore the intersection of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, emphasizing local initiatives and their global impact. 

By showcasing successful local restoration cases from cities participating in the Generation Restoration Project under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the event aims to highlight best practices, challenges, and the essential role of cities to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by 2030. 

Click here to register for the event. 

16 Oct 2024 15:16

Therapy for the spine of South America

The Acción Andina initiative member

Photo: UNEP/Todd Brown 

Deforestation is a key driver of land degradation and accelerates the climate crisis, species loss and poverty in rural areas. Every year, the Earth loses 10 million hectares of tree cover, an area equivalent to the size of Portugal. 

In South America, a multi-country initiative aims to reverse this degradation. Acción Andina, a multi-country initiative spanning 23 countries, aims to restore native forests along South America’s mountainous 7,000-kilometre spine. 

This COP 16 side event will explore the intersection of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, emphasizing local initiatives and their global impact.

15 Oct 2024 10:30

As Saudi Arabia claws back land from the desert, wildlife returns

Arabian Leopard in Western Saudi Arabia
Photo: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

Ecosystem deterioration is pushing 1 million species towards extinction. In Saudi Arabia, development, overgrazing, rising temperatures and climate hazards like sand and dust storms are eroding green areas.

To combat this crisis, the country plans to restore 200 million hectares of degraded land within and beyond its borders. Wildlife experts are optimistic that this can help dwindling populations of Arabian leopards, Nubian ibex, hares, ground birds, insects and more. Improving biodiversity can bolster ecosystem resilience and provide other ecological benefits. 

14 Oct 2024 11:08

Climate resilient corals give hope for the future

Coral reefs cover less than 1 per cent of the seafloor, but they support at least 25 per cent of marine species. Coral reefs are also the most vulnerable marine ecosystem to climate change, and up to 90 per cent of corals could be lost by 2050, even if warming is limited to an increase of 1.5°C. 

Coral reefs are vital to maintaining food supplies and protecting shorelines against waves, storms, and floods particularly in low-lying island nations and small island developing states

The Arabian Sea is among the hottest on the planet, and climate change has been driving mass die-offs of coral reefs. This has kicked off a drive to restore coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

11 Oct 2024 10:39

La pérdida de naturaleza amenaza la economía mundial: informe

sprawling farm lands

Foto: Unsplash/Julian Ebert

La continua pérdida de espacios naturales, incluidos los bosques, se ha convertido en un riesgo sistémico para la economía mundial, advierte el Estado de la Financiación para la Naturaleza, un informe del PNUMA y sus asociados.

En la última década, el 26% de la pérdida mundial de cobertura arbórea fue causada por la producción de solo siete productos agrícolas: ganado, palma aceitera, soja, cacao, caucho, café y fibra de madera. A menos que se produzcan cambios importantes, el costo para los bosques y otros espacios silvestres seguirá aumentando, lo que en última instancia pondrá en peligro a las industrias que dependen de los recursos naturales.

El informe instó a los gobiernos, las instituciones financieras y las empresas a situar la naturaleza en el centro del crecimiento económico futuro triplicando la financiación disponible para proyectos respetuosos con el medio ambiente para 2030.

10 Oct 2024 10:06

Nature loss threatens global economy: report

sprawling farm lands

Foto: Unsplash/Julian Ebert

La continua pérdida de espacios naturales, incluidos los bosques, se ha convertido en un riesgo sistémico para la economía mundial, advierte el Estado de la Financiación para la Naturaleza, un informe del PNUMA y sus asociados.

En la última década, el 26% de la pérdida mundial de cobertura arbórea fue causada por la producción de solo siete productos agrícolas: ganado, palma aceitera, soja, cacao, caucho, café y fibra de madera. A menos que se produzcan cambios importantes, el costo para los bosques y otros espacios silvestres seguirá aumentando, lo que en última instancia pondrá en peligro a las industrias que dependen de los recursos naturales.

El informe instó a los gobiernos, las instituciones financieras y las empresas a situar la naturaleza en el centro del crecimiento económico futuro triplicando la financiación disponible para proyectos respetuosos con el medio ambiente para 2030.

08 Oct 2024 17:50

Four facts that define the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference

Two hummingbirds
Credit: Unsplash/Daniel Pelaez Duque

 

The 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference will take place in Cali, the capital of Colombia's mega-biodiverse Cauca Valley. It will feature the largest Green Zone in the history of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Thousands of activities, discussions, workshops, and cultural performances will be held, with tens of thousands of participants from over 30 nations. Here are four facts about the Conference

1.    Cali will see the first stocktake of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

2.    COP 16 could adopt a historic win for Indigenous peoples and local communities and biodiversity 

3.    A moment of truth for biodiversity finance beckons

4.    A much-anticipated development at the intersection of technology and innovative finance could unlock new opportunities for people and nature